BIKE: Correction: Local bicycle/ped planning as seen through federal eyes

[rcbaker]

Correction: 

The stuff I posted earlier in the day is the material that CAMPO gave to 
the feds but not something the feds wrote (it came from a CAMPO 
"Federal Certification Review" CD subtitled "Resource documents and 
backup materials"). 

Thus it represents CAMPO's own opinion of its bike planning process, 
presented to the feds in late March. 

But for bike advocates, it is the only authoritative document that 
expresses what CAMPO says it intends to do in the future with regard 
to bikes and peds -- that I know about, at least.  

The feds will now review this material, plus any public commentary, and 
issue a new federal certification review, a sort of federal report card on 
CAMPO's planning process, and its consistancy with federal law, this 
review to be released in June probably. 

The fact remains that toll roads to serve future sprawl development 
have recently been getting all the money and approvals and even 
commuter rail remains unfunded (despite some official support from 
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Rep. Mike Krusee, the Austin/San Antonio 
Corridor council, etc). And toll road advocates (CTRMA/TxDOT) are 
now trying to get approval for $2.2 billion more, (and in fact just placed 
a ad last Sunday in the Statesman, trying to get a crowd of supporters 
to speak in favor of these toll roads at the May 10 CAMPO hearing). 

Meanwhile, bikes and peds get only vague expressions of good 
intentions without any dollar or time goals related to implementation of 
the Austin Bicycle Plan, etc. 

The main thing I think that bike advocates have accomplished politically 
in Central Texas is to preserve 15% of CAMPO's STP mobility funds for 
bike and ped projects, although this pot of money is only a small 
proportion of what is spent locally by TxDOT, and the cities and 
counties. Hang in there! These meager funds are always at risk given a 
state bureaucracy and political establishment largely dominated by 
road construction and real estate interests. 

-- Roger

              ************************************************** 

On 29 Apr 2004 at 14:04, rcbaker wrote:

> 
> Warning! Do not take the following comments by federal officials too
> seriously! 
> 
> The comments below are taken verbatim from chapter 9 of the Federal
> Certification Review, which are the legally required comments of the
> transpo feds on the local CAMPO plannning process. 
> 
> Note that the federal comments below are partly based on comments of
> the year 2025 plan, which actually exists, and the 2030 plan, which
> does not yet exist and which has not been publicly released. 
> 
> Meantime all the real estate interests are lobbying for the $2.2
> billion toll road plan proposed as a joint effort of the CTRMA and
> TxDOT. They want CAMPO to approve billions for toll roads now! --
> before the 2030 plan is even released. The toll road lobby wants to
> get permission to build very specific projects for very specific
> costs, and wants formal permission from CAMPO right now for its toll
> roads.
> 
> Meanwhile, the bike and ped and transit goals remain vague and
> non-specific few if any numbers related to future transpo policy are
> to be seen below), but the bike stuff does sound warm and fuzzy as
> noble future goals. In other words the alternative transportation
> community gets lip service -- while the bankers, developers, and land
> speculators want to get their roads approved now. 
> 
> This only scratches the surface of the bad policy that results when
> you mix Texas politics with the power of the road lobby. With the
> Bushies in power, and promises on paper being cheap, it all smells
> wonderful to the feds. 
> 
> -- Roger
> 
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